First Impressions
by roothlace
Summary: Henry Nobley looked up over the book that he was pretending to read as the women came into the room; he couldn't help himself he stole another glance. Maybe the Austen experience wouldn't be as bad as he had thought it would be


_Austenland_ doesn't belong to me

 **First Impressions**

"No," he said for the second time.

His aunt, Mrs. Wattlesbrook, just continued staring at him in that way he really hated. Giving him that look which meant that he had no choice; that he was going to do as she asked.

"No," he said again, more weakly this time. "Surely one of your other actors can do it."

"If I had an actor," his aunt reminded him, "I would not be asking you."

Henry Nobley shook his head again. "You know how I feel about those things," he had certainly made his opinions about her business known to her on many occasions, "and I can't act."

Mrs. Wattlesbrook smiled triumphantly at her nephew, she could tell that he was weakening, that he was going to do her biding. "That's the best part of it; you won't have to act at all."

"Really?" He was surprised.

"Yes," his aunt was excited, "you will be exactly who you are; my nephew."

"Really?" he couldn't help but ask again.

"Yes," she nodded emphatically, as though it made perfect sense, "you're well-spoken, well read, and very attractive when you put some effort into it, you'll do very well."

"As your nephew?"

"Yes, you'll even get to keep your name," she told him. She had decided that it would not make sense for Henry to try to act at all. It would be better for both of them. He would the acting to the professionals.

"You want me to act as your nephew?"

"Not act," Mrs. Wattlesbrook told him, "you are going to be my nephew and the resident gentleman." She stood up to leave his flat. "I'll be calling you with the other details. Smile, you'll look great in costume."

"Costume?"

"Well, yes," she said over her shoulder, "you can't walk around in Austenland wearing jeans and a T-shirt." Inspite of himself, Henry couldn't stop the excitement that he felt at the thought of dressing up – he'd always loved costume parties. "Which reminds me," she added, "there are strict rules that have to be followed, and I'll send them over as well."

He fell back into his sofa after his aunt's departure and wondered why he had let her force him into her crazy schemes. He had often wondered what kind of people actually paid the absurd amounts of money his aunt asked for to get the Austen experience. Now, he was actually going to meet them and although he knew that it wrong to judge people that he didn't know or had yet to meet, but they had to desperate and really weird.

000

Henry was happy that the Austenland's library actually had some books that appealed to his taste because if there hadn't been any he would have already decked Lady Amelia Hartwright, although generally he considered himself a very peaceful man. She really was the limit and despite all his aunt's protestations that young lady had be an actress, there was no way she had been born like that. He sincerely hoped that the other women would be better than her or he would shoot himself.

And then the two women had entered the room.

Miss Charming was clearly well off, her dress and his aunt's introduction told him as such; but it was Miss Erstwhile that drew his attention and he couldn't help but steal another glance at her over the pages of his open book. She was simply dressed, obviously in character as a poor relation whom they had taken in, but her eyes were bright and lovely. She was certainly one of the most attractive women he'd ever met.

When she spoke, he couldn't help but want her to continue doing so, her opinions were very decided and interesting; it was very clear that she wasn't acting at all. That the person he was seeing was the real her. Still, he found himself rebuffing her attempts at conversation; true he hated dancing but he could have replied in a politer manner and thinking back, he could have kept his mouth shut at dinner, but he was glad he hadn't, he'd enjoyed talking to her although they had been disagreeing about everything.

He had watched in dismay as Lady Hartwright's insensitive words had made her leave the table and he wished it was in accordance with the decorum of the times in which they were supposed to be living, for him to follow her out of the room. Again, it had hit him that Jane Erstwhile was not acting at all. What had she meant about it being a shame if her first opinion of him proved correct? He knew that he generally didn't make a very good first impression but he couldn't imagine what her first thoughts of him had been. He had been polite and gentlemanlike, hadn't he?

As he prepared for bed, he thought to himself that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be – Miss Charming and Lady Amelia were annoying to be sure; Andrews was also quite aggravating but somehow Miss Erstwhile's presence more than made up for them. He found himself looking forward to the morning; this could actually turn out to be quite fun.


End file.
